Squat lighthouse and small building on a rocky outcrop
California,  Colombia,  Jamaica,  Oman,  Pick a Word,  Themed galleries

Gallery: pick a word (October 2024)

November 5, 2024 / 26 Comments

You see it’s like a portmanteau — there are two meanings packed up into one word.

Humpty Dumpty in Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

It’s Pick a Word time again. In fact, it’s over time as these are Paula’s October words, but I’m running late as so often. This month she invites us to invent a word of our own. The master of word invention was Lewis Carroll whose works are liberally scattered with these portmanteau words,that is, words that combine two different words to make something new.

Interestingly the very word portmanteau is a portmanteau, being a combination of porter (to carry) and manteau (a coat). It is French in origin and used to describe an upright trunk that has drawers in one half and a hanging rail in the other. Lewis Carroll was apparently the first person to apply it to his invented words.

For this month’s challenge I’ve replaced Paula’s portmanteau word, luminocity (a combination of luminous and city), with one of my own, percarious. My definition? Something or someone that is perched precariously close to an edge!

This month my photos will take you to California, Jamaica, Colombia and Oman. The California ones at least will be new to you!

ASCENDING

Steep rocky cliff with man climbing up

In Yosemite Valley, California

Look carefully and you will see the climber slowly making his way up the cliff face near Yosemite Falls

IDLENESS

At Dunns River Falls, Ocho Rios, Jamaica

This guy was supposed to be selling souvenirs to tourists, but he couldn’t even be bothered to stand up, let alone hassle us as we passed his stall!

Man in rasta hat sitting smoking

PERCARIOUS

Squat lighthouse and small building on a rocky outcrop

Lighthouse at Point Reyes, California

A path leads out along the headland to a viewing platform from where this photo was taken. It’s possible to walk down to the lighthouse but the 313 steps down are described on a sign as ‘wicked’ and as we still had some way to drive that day we decided not to attempt them!

GOLDEN

Gold sea shell mounted on a stand

Muisca golden sea snail in the Museo del Oro, Bogota, Colombia

The Muisca lived on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. This piece was created by pressing seven thin sheets of gold on to a sea snail shell.

GIBBOUS

Moon and wispy clouds

Moon over Muscat, Oman

I decided to interpret this one very literally. A gibbous moon is one that is past half but not yet full. I took this photo from a boat just off the coast in Muscat, Oman, while heading out to watch the sun setting over the city.

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